Mousetrap was a board game. You build up an elaborate trap and then play the game. A marble is dropped to create a domino effect on many obstacles, finally resulting in a plastic trap falling on the mouse.

Links for more info

The following are links about Mousetrap you may find interesting. Also check out the other =Toys of the 80s?> pages.

I always wanted it, but never got it :( And when I met people who did have one, they said it was too much of a pain to but together, that made me sad, I think I'd have wanted to play it no matter what!

Man,I guess I'm the only one who actually played the game (we were pretty square kids...)
Ours worked well the majority of the time...I seem to remember it depended mostly on your construction skills (put this piece JUST SO and it works great)
And we all used to kind of giggle at the old man (and be a little grossed out at the same time...wrinkles!! Grandpa in his unmentionables!!)

Oh, what a legend! I was so pleased when I recieved this game for Xmas. I think it must still be at my parents' house somewhere. It was always temperamental whether the 'machine' would work or not and a failed attempt meant several things had to be put back, such as the 'diver' and the heavy metal ball. Another problem was the pole the cage was mounted on, it often got stuck.

This game was the reason I found out that there was no Santa. I was headed to my mom's closet to play dress up. Saw the game and thought "crap, now I know what they got me." On Christmas morning the tag said it was from Santa. Don't know if I've ever told my parents that story.